Visitors

CitiesHarvey County is made up of 7 cities and 15 townships. Newton is the only 1st class city. 2nd class cities include Halstead and Hesston. Burrton, North Newton, Sedgwick and Walton are 3rd class cities.

The oldest Mennonite liberal arts college in North America with a regional reputation for academic excellence. The school's Romanesque Revival-style administration building was built in the late 1800s with native limestone and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to scholarship, the college also offers art displays, lectures, concerts and sporting events.

Visitors can view changing exhibits of various Kansas artists, enjoy a stroll through the Victorian-themed J.J. Krehbiel Memorial Park and Museum or shop for paintings, pottery, blown glass and much more at the gallery's Blacksmith Gift Shop. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Take a step back in time with horse-drawn carriage, surrey and hayrack rides, and covered wagon excursions. Available for wedding and anniversary celebrations, festivals, grand openings, parades and parties.

This 13-acre outdoor nature facility features hundreds of different species of trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers. Visitors appreciate the pristine natural amenities and easy access for a variety of cultural events throughout the year.

Completed in 1904, and once a Carnegie Library, this is Newton's oldest building in continuous public use. Visitors today will find a wealth of local history and research material, including railroad memorabilia. Open Wednesday - Sunday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. and by appointment.

The first rural health museum in the world, 23 exhibits dedicated to helping educate children about their bodies and good health. The Center's main attraction is Valeda the Transparent Woman, a talking model of the human body. Family tours are very welcome.

The museum highlights the region's Mennonite immigrants of the 1870s along with their contributions to American agriculture. Exhibits include the Mennonite Immigrant House, the Turkey Red Wheat Palace and the 1899 Bethesda Hospital, the first Mennonite hospital built in the U.S. In addition, several historic buildings from the community have been moved to the museum for restoration and preservation. The gift shop features a variety of ethnic cookbooks and nostalgic books, wheat weaving, hand-crafted wood and ceramic items. Call for hours.

The 1930 railroad station, modeled after Shakespearean Stratford-upon-Avon, is listed on both the State and the National Register of Historical Places. Today the station is an AMTRAK stop and home to several offices and a community college.

In 1886, Mennonite immigrant Bernhard Warkentin purchased the flour mill which was used to mill Turkey Red hard winter wheat. For this, Warkentin has been credited with making Kansas the "breadbasket of the world." In 1973, the site was saved from demolition and renovated by Lloyd Smith. Today, it houses several businesses and a fine restaurant.

Open year-round, Spring Lake RV Resort offers 180 sites around Spring Lake ponds. Guests enjoy a wide variety of amenities and events ranging from musical programs to fishing in stocked ponds. The resort emphasizes family values-providing clean, attractive facilities and spacious, private sites. Located in the heart of the Kansas prairie, minutes for some of the Midwest's premier attractions, Spring Lake RV Resort offers an escape from the hectic pace of everyday life.

The 16-room, 1887 Victorian home of Mennonite Bernhard Warkentin contains most of its original furnishings and features craftsmanship from around the world. Warkentin, a Russian immigrant, encouraged the 5,000 Russian Mennonites that he helped settle in Kansas from 1874-1884 to bring with them the hardy Turkey Red variety of wheat that thrived on the Kansas Plains. Tours of his elegant home are available. Call for seasonal hours.